Surviving on low energy

Many cancer cells resort to inefficient glycolysis for their energy but can nevertheless survive, even when competing with their more energy-efficient noncancerous neighbors. One explanation, say Pelicano et al. (page 913), is that the altered metabolism can turn on an Akt survival pathway.

Most cells rely primarily on the rich energy harvest that comes from oxidative phosphorylation. But a switch to glycolysis can be induced by hypoxia, the loss of the tumor suppressor p53, expression of tumor inducers such as Myc and Ras, or mutation of certain mitochondrial enzymes.

Mitochondrial mutation is particularly common in cancer cells, which are under metabolic stress that generates mutagenic oxidants. Mitochondrial DNA is a prime target for these mutations as these organelles lack many of the safegard mechanisms that prevent and repair damage of nuclear DNA.

Pelicano...